Eco Accomodation

From September to May, Slieve Aughty Centre offers working holidays for ages 18 and older. Guests who choose a working holiday can expect to experience rural life and the responsibilities of running a large farm. They will also gain appreciation for working with, caring for and riding horses and interacting with other guests from various nationalities.

Working holiday guests work 6 hours and ride for 2 hours each day 5 days a week. The working hours may be spent cleaning stables, tending the organic garden, helping in the kitchen, cleaning accommodation areas, mending fences, building jumps, painting, etc. Depending on when the daily ride is scheduled, work may begin right after breakfast or in the afternoon after the 2:00 lunch. Each trainee is provided 10 hours of riding each week - either in the sand arena or surrounding forest and mountains.

Trainees stay at the Centre or cottage sharing bedrooms. Three meals are provided daily, and English language instruction can be booked. Trainees have 2 days off each week and may stay at the Centre and relax or ride or visit Galway, the Cliffs of Moher, or other Irish treasure.

Working holidays must book 2 weeks minimum stay; longer work experiences are possible for a reduced price.

A working holiday experience (English and German):

In Febuary 2001 my friend Caroline and I startet from Frankfurt-Hahn to Ireland. At Shannon-airport a good looking young man was waiting for us – as it turned out, it was our riding-instructor Gerry. A promising start! We went from Shannon to Kylebrack over several narrow roads, where Esther, the owner of the Slieve Aughty Riding Centre and her daughter welcomed us cordially.The next day we started our working program. Caroline and I were to work in the organic garden – the alternative was the household, but we preferred to work on the outside, get the garden in order, build a path, even build a pond and clean saddles and bridles.There were several other guests with us from all over the world – some German girls, a girl from Asia and friends of Esther from Belgium – a great multicultural bunch of people.In the afternoon we did the riding, unfortunately not so much out in the fields, because several of the usual riding-path were closed due to the Hoof- and mouth-disease. But we had some great times in the sand-arena and at the end of our stay also on the cross-country field, under Gerrys instructions.Esther gave us more and more free reigns, after we stayed for a few weeks and she even trusted us enough to tend to the centre, along with her sister-in-law, while she went on a short trip!The weekends were free of work for us working-holiday-girls, so we took off to discover Ireland. First to Galway, then down to Dingle and then to the North to Achill Island.As renting a car is too expensive for students, we went by bus and we hitch-hiked the parts that were not covered by public transport. We got to know some great and nice people that way.Especially the evenings were really cozy. We all sat together around the open fire, Esthers friend played the piano and we read, played bord games and listened to Dido. “Be with me” is still one of my favorite songs. It was a wonderful time and although my boyfriend and my own horse were awaiting me, I was extremely sad when we had to leave these nice people, the breathtaking landscape and Billy, the pony that is able to jump his own height, after 4 weeks.This year (2011) I returned with my mom. I did some research for my second book “time of the iceflowers”, the story will take place Ireland and in parts even at the Slieve Aughty Centre. The buildings changed in the last 10 years, everything and everyone else stayed the same. Esther welcomed us as cordially as ten years ago, the scenery was still as magical. Unfortunately we could only stay for a short time, but I will come back for a third time – with my daughter. As soon as she is old enough to be able to ride a horse, we will stroll through the Slieve Aughty Mountains. I really want to show her the “Romantic place”, a magical place in the forrest, Gerray showed us 11 years ago.See you, Katrin